Tribulation
by NoirOwl
Summary: When is enough, enough? Henry catches Regina doing magic and before she has a chance to explain chaos erupts. Now Emma and the gang go on the chase looking for a missing queen. Post- 3b, forget about the Frozen arc. Henry still has issues with Regina using magic. Pre-SQ. Rated T-M.
1. Tribulation

A/N: Aloha! This story has been sitting on my hard drive for years now along with its brothers and sisters; which I hope they enter the spotlight. Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below, This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

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She should have known that the peace that settled over the town, over the people, would have been short lived. She should have lost the inkling of hope that everything could or would move on. She should have known that the small staples, the small stitches interweaving into the chaos would be ripped open once again. The never ending, never scarring wound that would cease to heal. She looks into his hazel eyes and sees the shining of hate again. A simple needed mistake, and the end result was a cluster of words screamed at her. When will enough, be enough. She needed to expel the overflowing magic that would cause more harm than good in her. She needed to escape a bit of magic, but as always fate is never aligned with her. The Fates, the Gods, the universe once again laughed down at her human life and again her heart shattered; the last remaining stitch she could possibly hold on to dissolved.

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[20 minutes before]

Regina sat in her family room while brewing a couple potions, mostly to render new protection wards over her house and mausoleum. Typically she brewed her potions in her vault, but she had no want to travel far. She needed the enclosure her house provided with the mixings of safety. As her potions of regeneration, protection, and sleep brewed; her energy levels leveled into a comfortable space. Regina felt as she could breathe once again, the tremblings and aches having stopped. She really did loathe that all magical properties differed so much from those compared to the Enchanted Forest.

Gathering her breath she reclined aback the sofa and tilted her head upwards and with a flick of her wrist, a moonless starry night shimmered above her. Calmness seeped through her pores and ran into her veins, as memories of stargazing flooded her hippocampus. After a few minutes, Regina flicked the stars away and righted herself on the sofa. In a trance like motion she watched over the potions on her coffee table. Two set over a bunsen burner and another resting in ice, all three simmering. Completely set into her trance she never noticed the sounds of keys, the sound of the front door unlocking and opening; nor the set of feet that entered her home. It was only until she heard a gasp and an accusatory shout that she turned and stood from her seat, eyes slightly bulging at the sight of her son.

In a confused and slightly guilty state she looked at her son, while he continued to hammer question after question about magic. Henry did not know that his mother continued to do magic in secrecy, because she knew that at the chance of him finding out he would look at her with disdain as he is now.

"What are you doing?! You promised me you stopped doing magic! You lied!," Henry shouted towards his mother not noticing that she still stood there stunned. This was not the way she wanted him to know that she needed to do magic in small doses to control the overwhelming darkness.

"Henry, let me explain. I need-," Regina tried to do damage control once her fixings were in order, but Henry would have none of it and cut her explanation off.

"No! You don't need magic! Emma doesn't need it! I knew you were EVIL! I knew you could never stop being the Evil Queen. I trusted you! I trusted you, but you are nothing more than the dark Evil Queen. I hate you, Regina." Henry shouted at Regina with the force and hatred seeped into his eyes.

By the time he was proclaiming his hate his words winded down into a cold whisper. Never in the past 6 months has Henry called her by her name. Henry gulped breaths and forced them into his lungs to tamper down the anger running through his body. He thought she was good again, but it was all a lie. She was all lies. The Mother of Deception bored into his heart and eyes.

However, he had it all wrong. Had he given her the slightest of doubt, he would have known that the disuse of magic for one of the strongest practitioners known in the world of realms, physically and emotionally hurt her terribly. That the disuse of magic reaching to its boiling point would lead to a catastrophe by her hands. Without her consent, her dark magic could take over and create absolutely awful situations in which Regina's body would only act as a host. He did not know because he is a child who still needed shielding from certain issues the world offers. He rather demanded her to cut off magic. Hence her secrecy of controlled usage. Except it was not a total secret, certain adults knew. Her once upon a time savior knew and helped come up with a plan to help Regina release her dark magic. Emma and the Charming's had known what needed to be done, so Regina could have control. They had agreed to help her. Her, the Evil Queen, receiving help from the Charming Clan.

Regina knew though that as her caramel eyes set onto those hazel, she lost. She lost everything she willingly fought for, bent for, and almost kneed for, within seconds. She had lost the moment her being the Evil Queen was true, but she held on, and she gripped onto anything to have a sliver of space in her sons heart. Looking into those hazel eyes, she knew she could no longer fight the inevitable. With stinging tears gathering and blurriness encompassing her eyes, droplets of saltwater cascading down her cheeks and falling from her trembling chin. She gazed into those hazel one last time and inhaled a shaky breath. Exhaling a trembling carbon, tears flowing as a running waterfall, she whispered, "Oh, Henry…"

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It does not dawn onto Henry what hurtful and hateful words spewed until he studied the pain filled caramel eyes set straight into his. It is not until he watched the remaining flake of hope fall away and be replaced with utter despair, does he seem to grasp that he has undoubtedly flipped his mothers stability. He wanted to portray regret into his eyes, but it is far too late as his eyes settle onto the streams of tears falling from his mother's eyes. It isn't until he hears his name that he snapped out of his sea of guilt and he wanted her to know he is sorry. He wanted to beg for forgiveness. Henry needed her to know that he does love her. She needs to know. She needs to know he is sorry, so he runs to her.

However, he is too late. He runs into the remaining whispers of purple fog. "Mom!" He faltered in his steps. He searches around the family room, he runs out and runs upstairs to her bedroom, all while screaming for his mother.

Tears adorned his cheeks and mouth, "Mom! Mom! I'm sorry. Please. I'M SORRY. Mom!"

 **SQ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ**

[Present]

Henry ran through all the upstair rooms, flinging many doors open; he doesn't find her. He hurriedly ran downstairs, leaping from the staircase from the last four steps down and ran into her study. He knew she isn't home any longer, but he still searched for a trace of his mother.

"Mom! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!," is the mantra Henry is yelling throughout the house, into the backyard.

Into the run towards the Sheriff's station, he has tears running down his face and whispering to himself the same mantra. He throws the Sheriff's door open and screams for his Ma. "Ma! Ma! You need to help! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

Emma having heard the force of the door rip open, pulls her concentration away from reading a case file. Sitting upright, until she heard the painfully rough voice of her son yelling for her, does she scramble from her seat and runs towards Henry. The sight she sees of his red rimmed eyes, tear stricken, panic inducing face, along the garble of words stun her for a moment. Quickly coming out of her shock she reaches for Henry and she closed her arms around him. Emma whispers into his ears to 'breathe' and calm, does he do so. Emma continues to hold him to her chest as they sit on the linoleum floor. Henry still has trouble breathing and she guides him into sets of panic coping mechanisms.

"Henry, shh…shh. Keep breathing in, sweetie and out. There you go in and out. Now what is going on, sweetheart. What happened?" Emma calmly whispers to her panic stricken son. Taking note of his countless tear streaked face with wet patches adorning his shirt.

"I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to. You have to find her, Ma. Please, you have to find her." Henry responds, burying his head into his mother's chest, seeking some sort of comfort. However, his mind knows that this isn't the chest and the rhythm of heartbeat he is seeking; he wants his moms, he needs Regina's.

"Find who? Didn't mean what?" Emma curiously wonders. It takes all she has to stop the bombardment of questions as to ask who dare hurt her son. Her magic tingles within her of the prospect of someone emotionally harming her son. Her heart breaks at seeing his completely devastated eyes stare up at her. She can recognize the guilt and pain throbbing from his colored eyes that glaze over in fresh tears.

"Mom…" he brokenly sobs after a few inhales and exhales, he continues, "I didn't mean to yell at her. I didn't mean to say I hated her. I..II didn't mean to call her Evil. It-t just came out. I'm sorry Ma, I'm really sorry. I tried to say I was sorry, but she poofed away. I couldn't find her. I can't find her, Ma." His words come out broken and botched with fresh tears falling from his face, with the last words garbled into her chest as he clings onto her.

"Why?" was all Emma could recall asking her son about his actions. She wondered what triggered such emotions from Henry.

"I saw her do-doing magic. I... I got liv-livid about her lying and I screamed horrible words at her. I…, I didn't mean to Mama… I..." looking onto the floor and shaking his head side to side. Emma knew about keeping Regina's magic use had been a secret, she understood and was helping her friend overcome the darkness. Of course she didn't like excluding that particular decision from their son, but it had to be made. Her heart accelerated in wondering what the brunette was holding on to. She reigned her emotions once more and placed Henry to her chest and cradled his head.

"Shh… I've got you. I've got you. I've got you." Clearing her throat from the knot that had formed, she begun to whisper, "We make mistakes. It's a crucial part of us. We live and we learn. What you did was not okay, I am sure you know and feel that. You need to learn. You must learn, my dear son, to listen before passing judgement. I don't say this to make you feel worse, but your mother has been trying. We knew; she needed to use magic. Your mom was doing it under short spurts to help her control the darkness, Henry. The darkness was hurting her. I saw it and we helped her, Henry." Emma pauses for a bit to control the tears that wish to shed.

She recalled the broken body trembling the night after she felt Regina magically calling for her. She rushed to the mansion and witnessed Regina crying and howling from the pain in a fetal position. She saw the changes in Regina through trial and error. Emma cheered her friend on and their magical escapades. Regina became her mentor throughout the last months.

"It may take time, my dear son. She does love you. I'm certain she will forgive you in time. Mistakes happen, but you need to let the Evil Queen name go. Your mother is Regina, Regina Mills, the mayor of this town. Yes, by name, the Evil Queen. However, who raised and nurtured you was all, Regina Mills. A person who still had love and hope in her heart. Especially, if you are the one who carries the Heart of the Truest Believer. That would never be possible without her love having surrounded you. You need to cease the idea that the world is only made up of two colors, but rather the multiple shades of two. A complexity of multi-colors. You need to see her grey, or her red or purple." Emma takes a small break to allow Henry to grasp her message, she continued, "You will grow, Henry. Now, let's get up. I will take you to your grandparents and I will search for your mother." Emma softly speaks to ear of her son still laying on her chest. Hoping he will heed the words tumbling from her mouth and analyze each one. Hoping that he learn from this mistake and will be able to grow from it.

 **SQ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ**

Dread formed in her throat,chest, and heart as her thoughts flooded towards Regina. Even after the past couple of months, Regina's only force of goodwill has been for Henry. Emma had acknowledged that the former Evil Queen continued to struggle with the darkness and the one millimeter holding her from the edge of a cliff, was their son. The same son she would lay down her life without hesitation. The son she saw the goodness in. The son who was her light at the end of the tunnel. It was the driving force behind all the things she had recently tried to accomplish.

Being called evil and being told by the son you had raised, nurtured, loved, and cared for ten years, that he hates you probably had reset all of her progress made. Emma realized with horror the possibility of Regina having teetered off the cliff and fallen to the depths; had her last grain of happiness boiled away. The light at the end of the tunnel extinguished. For Regina no longer had a reason to try. She inexplicably knew with dread that she would need to quickly find Regina, and hope. Hope she could save Regina once again.

"Hold on to me, Henry and hold your breath." Emma requested of Henry before she was able to disparate them to her parents loft.

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A/N:If you finished, thank you for taking your time in reading my fic. This is my first fanfic story out of many that I have hidden. I hope to share them with you soon.


	2. Hide & Seek

A/N: Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below, This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

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Landing softly in her parents living room, Snow glanced at the state of them both. Before she could question either of them, Emma asked her mother to watch over Henry. Due to his emotional state, he had fallen asleep; plus a little magic that Emma transferred to him to calm his heart. Emma quickly explained that she needed to search for Regina and that she would be back as soon as she could. Before she left the loft, she spun to face Snow and told her, "Henry isn't emotionally stable, right now. Please comfort him as you can, but please DO NOT leave your sights off him. Knowing him he will run the chance he gets, which is why I knocked him out with magic, but that can only hold him down for so long. I'll be back as soon as possible." Emma hugs Snow and with tears she parts from her mother. Snow whispers to Emma, in hopes to lend her strength, "You will find her. This family has a knack for finding each other. Just don't give up hope." Snow strengthens her hug and releases her daughter to go forth and search for their missing family member.

Emma ran down the winding stairs and jumped into her yellow bug. She set her sights towards the mansion, hoping she could pick up remaining traces of Regina's magic; in hopes that she could use hers to track if the magic origin was nearby the house. Arriving at the mansion, Emma squealed the bug onto a stop and jumped out. She ran forwards to the door entrance, where she noticed that the door remained partially opened. Hoping that Henry had left it half-open in his initial panic, Emma took caution and drew her weapon. She stealthily entered the mansion and searched the grounds. Good news no one was there; bad news, no one was there.

Emma took a moment and thought of the places Regina would frequent when she needed 'alone' time. Emma had it down to Henry's castle, her vault, and the forest grounds, and possibly Zelena's. Emma scratched out the castle as it would be out in public and if she was emotionally unstable, so would be her magic; and Emma knew, just enough, that Regina's past actions would warrant not to cause harm on any innocent bystanders. As well, Emma checked off Zelena, as she figured Regina would want to be alone and not in the company of a happy family. That left her with two remaining options, vault and forest; once again she really hoped it was not the forest because that would be a lot of grounds to cover.

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Emma knew she could not do this alone and with time running in light speed; she needed a partner. She whipped out her phone and dialed Ruby's phone number and prayed that her best friend could help her with ordeal. Knowing how Ruby would push off for details, Emma was prepared to give a fast synopsis.

"Where to Em?" Ruby questioned Emma as she answered her ringing mobile. Emma could hear the diner background noise and remained a bit stunned.

"H-how did… Snow?" Emma questioned into her phone as she locked the mansion and began speed-walking to her bug.

"Snow called saying Regina is missing. She figured you would call me or David for help. I would have called right after we hung up, but I wanted to leave Granny in capable hands. Where do you need to meet or where do I need to go?" Ruby explained and questioned Emma for a direction or lead to follow.

"If you can, I need you to look around the forest. Search for her scent or magic signature. I can't cover as fast as you can and I still need to check her vault. If you find her, well I don't need to explain the rest." Emma communicated to her friend as she began her drive into the direction of Regina's vault.

"Sounds good. I'll transform really soon and I'll call you after my sweep." Ruby told Emma as she finished passing down her duties to the evening waitress and started off her trek to the closest edge of the forest.

Emma thanked Ruby again before she hung up her mobile and continued her drive. Throughout her drive Emma's heart thumped in an increasing speed. She could not stop the negative feeling that begun to creep around her body. Emma felt as if she was losing something as coldness seeped into her, causing her to jolt for a quick moment. The jolt strong enough to cause her to swerve into the opposite lane and had her rapidly correct herself. Emma's heart tripled in action and hoped to anyone in the realms that she could find Regina and fast.

 **SQ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ...SQ ...SQ...SQ**

As Emma neared her destination, she received a call from Ruby stating that she neither smelled nor sensed Regina. Emma thanked her for her help and asked her to make her way to vault to regroup. Emma had no other leads and needed fresh minds, because hers was just filling with trepidation.

Unbeknownst to Emma, Regina would be found at her vault. The problem remaining was that she could not enter the protective force field. No matter how much magic she used, the field remained intact. By the time Emma was at her wits end, Ruby joined her and snuffed out any weaknesses, but knew that was futile for Regina was a strong witch.

However, Ruby did bring the brilliant memory of blood magic seals and told Emma to call Zelena for help. Emma once again was seen pacing as she talked to Zelena and asked her for help to search for her sister. Zelena was standoffish at first, telling Emma that maybe Regina needed or wanted to be alone; as well to wait until Regina cooled off. It was only then that Emma divulged into what Henry had yelled at Regina and feared Regina was or had run off. Less than two minutes Zelena appeared in front of Emma with a scowl in her face.

"For the life of me, you better have reprimanded that ungrateful spawn of yours. To believe he finally accepted her! What a bloody joke of the century!" Zelena gritted out to Emma and spun around to cut off the savior's reply and to study the ward surrounding the mausoleum. While studying the vault, she realized Ruby was there too, "Ruby." "Zee," where the said as they greeted each other.

"Blood seal, give me a minute," Zelena explained as she gathered her strength and begun to push off her magic. The ward began to disintegrate, but too slowly for Emma's need. As much as Emma wanted Zelena to hurry up, she knew that magic has a price and she needn't want to rush a complicated process.

The shimmering shield glittered as it became pieces, eventually nothing remained. Zelena swayed as her magic depletion began to hit wary levels. Zelena used up more magic than she previously thought, but her dear sister had implemented various blood seals for any intruder to battle.

"Its open. I did a quick search for any traps, but found none. Regardless, be careful." Zelena huffed as she was helped into a sitting position near the entrance by Ruby and Emma.

"O-ok. Ok, here we go." Emma chanted to herself as she entered. Emma kept her guard up and her magic on stand-by. Using her brute force, she pushed off the marble memorial and headed down the stairs. 'Please be here. Please be okay. Please.' Was Emma's mantra as she combed the entire viewable and accessible vault. Emma went around corners and corridors, but none revealed her partner, her mentor, her Regina. 'My Regina?' Emma countered her inner thoughts. Meandering her inner analogue coming to a sharp twist downstairs Emma came across a spacious room. Closing off her conversation with 'Me, Myself, & I' she entered the room with magic prone ready to fire.

Upon entering the blood drained from her face, her palms began to sweat, and her heart thudded as her stomach dropped. The view set on was one she wished never to see. Glossiness covered her iris' and her lip quivered. Emma stood still, her world stood still; for Emma had no clue what in the realms to do.

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A/N: Worry not there is still a long road ahead. Honestly, this would have been uploaded all at once, but FF cut me off after 3k. Look forward to more chapters. :)


	3. Gold Hearted and Unwanted

A/N: Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below, This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

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Regina landed inside her families mausoleum with tear tracks and continuing fresh ones decorating her face. Her eyes puffy and swollen, her nose Rudolph red, and her trembling lips painted her image. After righting herself, she pushed off her magic to create wards, specifically blood wards so no Charming member could come and intrude her space. Regina reinforced each ward in double with blood seal protective charms and traps. No one other than a relative could enter. Regina figured the Charming's would "eventually" figure out the type of magic keeping them out and go to Zelena. She hoped that by then she would have brought herself peace.

Regina sullenly walked down into her vault and searched for ingredients. Gathering what she needed, all ingredients and tools, different shapes and vials. Regina crossed through various corridors. With each door she passed, she released the protective and harming spells. As Regina continued to walk to her favorite room, she continued to hear Henry's hateful words and the emotions began once again. A never ending cycle creating dragging chains. Regina had thought she a least had be able to garner the doubt from her son, no, Henry. Henry Swan, who would have thought simple words could create the most destruction than any other weapon she has ever encountered.

Regina reached her sanctuary, she crossed the lilac colored room to the dresser and chair. From the gold chest she carried, she pulled out various ingredients and tools. As she grind and mixed ingredients with others, she recited the recipe in her mind to keep each step as is. She knew she was changing this brew, but it had to be done. When finished Regina gazed at the refined curse, the verdigris liquid in the beaker, and set it down. Regina cleaned up her work-space, grabbed her final tool from the chest.

One long and thin gold pin.

Throughout the calmness of her actions, the voices remained, the shattered heart remained untouched. The glossiness of tears wanting to break their breaches stayed intact. The trembling lip kept it's seizing form, but she knew she could not stop. It was all too much. She had truly lost.

Before she walked over to the chaise centered by her beloved Rocinante art; she did want she never wanted to do, again, in her life. With fresh tears cascading her cheeks, her chin, and some flowing down her throat or jumping off to her chest, she laid her right hand over her heart. She tapped her chest in a forgiving manner and as sobs broke and she rocked back and forth, Regina steeled her rocking. Regina pressed her hand into her cavity and the worst of the brunt left her body. Her gaze traveled down to her heart, dimly glowing a receding red. For her strength to love had diminished. Even though she knew she can love, it was all too much. Broken down at every chance with no breathing room to recover, left gaping slashes and burns unhealed. How much could one endure?

Sealing her heart by once again different blood wards into a small maroon chest; that she buried possibly ten feet below, under her Rocinante frame. After 12 layers, ironically the age of her once upon a time son, each protected with various blood seals. Once the final layer of stone and marble is set, Regina retreated to collect her pin and her version of the sleeping curse.

Before Regina laid onto the chaise, Regina sent one final ward to the entrance, the magic refusing any intruder access to anyone who wished her, her body, her soul, and her all, any harm. Regina dipped the pin into the sleeping curse, the gold pin and verdigris glowed and shimmered, and entailed the end of their combination and completion of the final step. Regina laid on the chaise, looked unto and cheered her pin onto Rocinante's frame, "One last ride, darling." Regina rose the pin and with steady calmness, she pricked her finger.

Regina's body lastly inhaled and exhaled her last breath. Her body molded onto the chaise as gravity took over. One arm swung off and aimed downward. The gold pin slipped off the finger grip, but remained in the crook of her forefinger and middle finger. The poisoned end sticking to the rough marble below. Regina's complexion became a shade or two duller and those caramel eyes stopped seeing images. For her eyelids touched their twin and remained closed. Her chest stopped any movement. Her armour remained kinked as if a reflection of herself, in her dire moment.

It was not the gore, or the battles against Snow, nor the endless coup attempts that brought the Queen down. It was the inability to heal, disintegrated heart, and crushed spirit. Resting was not the Queen, but the woman under the mask. The one who should have had the title of the most resilient. The one who loved with everything she had, who wore loyalty on a sleeve, who eyes mirrored her emotions, and sass of no other.

Here lay in a peaceful rest a mother, a father, a sister, a friend, a partner, an ally, a hero, a Queen.

From when the Queen exhaled her final breath, a chill briefly spread amongst the town. As if the axis flipped; if anyone on watch was near the town line they would have noticed that the line shimmered, if someone were near the well, they would notice the fluctuating water levels, and the mines tremble, before all stilled.


	4. She Used to Be Mine'

A/N: SEQUEL is coming! See below for details.

Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below, This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

* * *

Emma slowly traveled to Regina's lithe and lifeless body. Saltwater breaching their ducts took in Regina's arm laying off, something shimmering from her hand, and Regina closed off to the world.

Emma wishing this was not happening, pleading to every god out in the realms that she had not lost Regina. She gathered the pin carefully and sets it on the coffee table next to the beaker; she sets a protection field to keep the items together and set in place. Emma kneed aside Regina and lifted her arm from the side, a trembling hand set Regina's hand atop of the one placed below her sternum. Emma sob ridden gathered Regina's body and cradled her to her chest. Emma placed one hand behind Regina's back and the other behind her head and rocked. "No, no, no, Regina, no," cried Emma, "Please, wake up... Gina." More sobs racked Emma's body.

She fixed Regina's body to her right arm and with her left she shuffled the coffee brown locks away from her face, Emma whispered to her ear and locks, "Wake up, you can't leave us. Please. He is sorry. He is sorry. Please. Please. Please. Please." Emma continued to chant and rock until she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, her hazel eyes fixed onto blue eyes; with seizing lips, she whispered, "Please. Please… Zee wake her." Glimmering blue fixed on coffee locks, lowers her forehead to Regina's hair, she brokenly mumbled, "I can't."

Once again, whimpers and sobs break through Emma. Her whole body shook and trembled. Ruby stood back with tears and watched as a lover and sister cried over her friend. Ruby's inner wolf and emotions took over as she transformed and howled a mourning cry for her friend, for the one who understood her. Ruby's howl reached Granny's ears and she dropped a client's coffee refill. The cry hurt her terribly as she has not heard a broken howl in many, many years.

Everything momentarily stopped inside the diner, as the people looked upon Granny who had begun to shed her own mourning tears. She patted her evening waitress/manager. "Hold the fort." Was all Granny could say. She exited the diner and walked over to the Sheriff's station. In seeing David, Granny told him they needed to drive to the mausoleum, as that was the last location Ruby had checked in with in her earlier searches. Not one to disobey an order from Granny, he grabbed the patrol keys and they both headed out to Regina's mausoleum, waiting for someone to explain why.

In entering the mausoleum and following the cries with the help of Granny, he understands. He surveys the scene of his beloved family mourning their missing family member. He too began to shed a tear before he gathered all his courage and kneed behind Emma. Emma who at this point has rested Regina back on the chaise, but has her left arm wrapped around her torso and face curled into Regina's ribs as heartbreak and tears continued to pound her body.

"Sweetheart, let go. Honey, l-let go. I've got you. I've got you," David calmly whispered to Emma. However, it doesn't go over well, as Emma buried herself further into Regina and her grip tightened.

All of a sudden broken words begun to rung out inside the lilac room, softly and shaken, Emma sung.

She is imperfect, but she tries

She is good, but she lies

She is hard on herself

She is broken and won't ask for help

She is messy, but she is kind

She is lonely most of the time

She is all of this mixed up and baked in a beautiful pie

She is gone, but she used to be mine

In Emma finishing the verse, she had risen and held her forehead to Regina's, she once again whispered, "She is gone, but she used to be mine…"

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A/N: If you finished, thank you for taking your time in reading my fic. This is my first fanfic story out of many that I have hidden. I hope to share them with you soon.

As for this particular my original thoughts where to end here. I've decided to do a small sequel but due to Volcanic eruptions occurring I will need to wait until I continue to write, draft, and publish more chapters.

Thanks for reading and I will post an update to let you know when the sequel is here. :)

-NoirOwl


	5. What Hurts Most? Truth or Lie

A/N: Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below, This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

Great news! Sequel time! I am sorry for having taken a while, however, if you haven't heard, Hawai'i (Big Island) had eruptions AND had to face Hurricane Lane. The impact was in the greater scale of things and I had to move.

I am not entirely sure how fast I will be able to update. I'll do so when I get settled into my new home, so press that follow tab. Strap in for this rollercoaster ride, please keep both hands and feet clear and inside the cart; 3.2.1 enjoy the ride!

TW: Mild language and mental breakdown

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Emma let go of Regina's body, while staring afar into a lost gaze. She hadn't any clue how she would be able to move on from this. Only then did it occur to her that Henry would be inconsolable. _'Oh, god our boy. Regina, what of our boy?'_

Emma could not fathom how she would have to explain to Henry that he has lost his mum to a sleeping curse, without a known way to wake her. Emma was gathered by her father's front as she, again, broke down in tears and heart churning sobs. She heard the same saying over and over "I've got you, I've got you, I've got you" whispered to her ear.

As she almost succumbed to numbness, Emma jerked awake. Where agony used to reside, hurt and anger became a new resident. She jumped from the seated position, and if Emma possessed the power to use laser eye beams she was sure that the chaise would have been set on fire.

"Wake her, Zelena." Emma ordered in a cold hollow tone with curled white-knuckled hands aimed at the floor. Aimed so strongly down below while she focused on restraining her magic. White knuckled hands shook with immense force, Emma was surprised she could hold on to such raw force.

"I can't Emma, otherwise I would have." Zelena snapped and immediately stood from her seating position as she took in Emma's threatening body language. One to never back away from a challenge, she straightened her spine when all she wanted to do was gather her sister in her arms.

Emma moved forward and sneered, "Can't or won't?!" Forrest blazing eyes searching for any body read in Zelena to catch her in a lie.

"If I bloody damn well could, she would have been awake by now! She is my little sister, so you best watch yourself and that tone, Savior." Selena gritted out and stood into Emma's personal space and jabbed her index finger into Emma's chest. Almost wanting to egg Emma into a fight. Zelena would love to release some magic on the supposed savior.

All Emma could do was whack Zelena's hand away and began to taunt, "What is the point of being the all powerful Wicked Witch of the West, when she cannot even decipher a measly sleeping curse?!"

Emma expected a range of words, but what she received was a surprise.

Zelena opting for a magical release, harshly brought Emma to her knees and was quickly thrown sideways onto the wall. A sickening thud rebounding off the wall from the impact. Before the Savior could react sharp nails grasped her chin as she was tugged to look into Mediterranean colored eyes.

"I am not Her anymore. Even, if I were I would be unable to decipher this concoction of spells! They all take bloody time and she had 28 years of it! She definitely had 3 years to perfect this potion because your bloody spawn of hell drove her to madness!"

Zelena continued as she waved her arms to the rest of the people inside the master room, "Making her believe she was unwanted and unloved! Slight parts may have been my doing; but none are compared to what Henry, you, and the Charming Clan have done. Claiming you had her back, but only to butcher it at every chance you received."

Reigning her hatred back to the blonde, she pointed and berated, "You, Savior, had the means to stop the spawn's misgivings, rudeness, hurtful manners, and you did nothing! You let him beat her down." As her anger kept swelling, her voice too rose.

"YOU let the spawn emotionally and mentally torture her, the "true mother" of your spawn. I blame you, fucking Savior. You had the means, but YOU did NOTHING," with nostrils flared and a heaving chest she continued," What is the point of you being the Savior?"

Zelena fumed down at a hurt stricken blonde that sat and let the words become engrained in her mind. No matter how much hurt flashed on the blondes face, Zelena kept going for the kill, because she needed to air out the truth, unshielded. Zelena needed Emma to see what Regina had gone through and all at the hands of the Charming Clan.

"You have Henry, the Charming's, Ruby, Granny, your Uncles, and almost the whole damn town. She is all I have left. She is my family. If I could wake her, don't you think I would tried by now than to cry over her still body." Zelena exclaimed with flames running low and working with ashes soberly explained to Emma.

"She was ... is my little sister."

Her own body felt unstable with emotions running rampant and affecting her magic, heart, and soul. Tears found their dried tracks and washed a fresh coat over the owners face.

Zelena really had no clue what her younger sister had done; already working through the ingredients and trying to cross reference any that present in the potion. Her mind was working in a 200x speed while trying to tamper her emotions to avoid a clouded judgement. No matter how hard she tried; she couldn't imagine the hurt her sister must have felt to almost make an unbreakable potion. Zelena had already taken count of the visible ingredients, a mortar, the properties of the mortar since both pieces where unmatched, she took note of the golden pin, and the most important part was missing.

Zelena had previewed the room to find any small trace of Regina's signatures, but her luck would reach the depths of a millimeter, for traces could not be found. At least not any that she could detect at the time and made up her mind to visit Regina's vault many times until she could prefect the potion. ' _Why didn't you come to me Regina. Why? I would've helped. I'm sorry Gigi. I'll watch over your spawn.'_ Zelena continued her inner monologue while searching out traces. The hardest part was to search for a trace is when one, not only are you in the casters vault, but you are where most magical items with her signature are housed; two, emotions power magic and at the moment hers were haywire. Zelena definitely had to get herself a babysitter.

With shame Emma kept looking down onto the marble floor, shaking her head back and forth in hopes to stop the agony. She trailed the marble design. Then Emma did what she had not done towards Zelena, "I am so sorry Zee... Truly, I am." It was then she finally raised her head to meet Zelena's eyes and began, "You are not alone. You have us, if you will. Gina would not want you and Robyn to be alone."

Although Zelena wished it to be, she just couldn't, she could not be part of a family who was the reason of the downfall of her young sister. She did not reply, but she gave Emma a forced smile before she turned and walked back to the chaise. It was then when she put Regina's body in a stasis spell, trusting that it would give her time to unravel her sisters potion. She heard shifting next to her and looked to her left and saw Ruby.

Ruby smiled at her and began to say, "You have me too, you know? You and Robyn have us tender wolves too."

Zelena could do nothing but nod at her and begin to address everyone in the room, "There is nothing more we can do, but wait to have the potion dissected. I found luck in her having left the ingredients, but that is only a third of the problem solved. I do believe that the barrier is meant to keep her in here as a last protection spell against her physical body. We cannot move here beyond the barrier, otherwise, we risk the chance of hurting her." Zelena explained and set out a caution regarding Regina's body to the small crowd inside the master room. "We can should be able to move her to the bed without harming her." Before Zelena had the chance to bend down, Ruby beat her to it, and carefully retrieved Regina.

Laying her on the bed Ruby began her own side story, "She gave me the greatest gift in allowing my mind to mend for 28 years, without having to live in fear, to give Granny restful years. She kept the time in a stasis because even if the curse broke, we still in an odd way gained an extra 28 years." Looking down at the brunette with shimmering eyes Ruby continued, "She gave me peace and for the first time, hope. I could be Me, just Ruby. She was a great friend too. She listened, if anything during the time Emma came, we drifted apart and I truly regret for letting that happen. Especially when she was my best friend and I let her down," clearing her tears and wiping her face she continued, "I've got the first shift. I have plenty to talk with her."

Risking her flickering yellow eyes to Emma, tampering her wolf, she began, "You'll have to tell Henry. He will never forgive you if you keep this from him. On the fates, if she does not awaken, you will be what is left of her. Make him understand that his momma really did love him. D-does love him."

Emma stood and with a knot caught only nodded at Ruby. "I'll be back in the morning, if he isn't too distraught... God that sounds horrible even to say."

 **-SQ...SQ...SQ...SQ-**

Emma swayed a bit in contemplation before she decided to cross the room and squeeze Regina's hand. Whispering good evening to Regina, she left the master room with her father. Through her walk in Regina's vault she mused how she would break the news to Henry, how much of the truth should be told or how much of a lie. Which would hurt least in the long run?

After bidding her father goodbye, she boarded the bug and drove slowly to her parents loft. A last minute attempt to slow down time, to slow down another heartbreak, to slow down the soon to be mental instability; just to slow everything down. She needed a pause to take in what has happened and what may occur. Though life isn't easy and like life it moves on. How will she?

She entered the loft and briefly greeted her mother before she headed towards the room Henry enclosed himself in. Knocking on the door she waits for a signal from Henry to enter. She hears shuffling, sniffing, and finally her son. She took a breath and twisted the doorknob.

 **-SQ...SQ...SQ...SQ-**

Entering she noticed the bundles of tissue paper in the waste basket and her sons red rimmed eyes. Turning they exchanged greetings and stayed silent while sitting together on the bed. Henry's head was placed on Emma's chest, he listened to her heart rhythm and stalling before he asked the question that would want him to tear his own heart out.

"She's gone isn't she?" Henry soundlessly asked his birthmother, closing his eyes to shut out the answer that would destroy him. Guilt eating him through his very molecules. Henry knew something was wrong, one his birth mother had taken over a day to track his mom and when he saw her face he could read the sadness radiating off her facial expressions. If nothing else to go by her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, nose tinted red. Evidence she had been crying for an extended amount of time and the only event correlating was his missing mother. His own sobs took over and he once again searched for comfort into the wrong heart beat. Emma's teeshirt became wet and all she could do was make her grip tighter around Henry's body.

Hearing the gut wrenching cries of her son with no way out to stop the heart break, she gripped tight onto any shred of his innocence; for she knew that her response would rob him of it. She gripped tighter her right hand cradling his head to her chest, just like she had done to his mother. Attempting to stall the near fallen tears she looked up to the bedroom ceiling.

Emma cleared her throat twice before she began, "She... she is asleep. Your mom will be okay. I promise. I promise I will fix this, Henry."

His cries became harder and louder as he heard his birth mom reply, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I did this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Henry began to fight against his mother as his own anger took over his lithe body.

Emma fought for a grip while reciting, "It'll be ok. She knows you didn't mean to. It will be okay, Henry. It'll be okay." Chanting a mantra in hopes to believe it herself.

Eventually, Henry broke free from his mothers grip and fell from the bed, crying, tears flowing from his ducts, screaming, "I did this! Her son! I did this!"

Henry stood up and grabbed his alarm and threw against the mirror, smashing the view of his own reflection. Turning to his side he swiped along his desk; dropping books, his laptop, printer, and notebooks. Henry grabbed his chair and threw it against the wall. Splintering the chair and specks flying off after impact. Thumps, banging, and yelling was all that was heard from Henry's room.

As soon as Snow heard the first yell, she ran towards the commotion. Opening the room door she witnessed Henry grabbing anything in his peripheral vision and throw it against the wall on the opposite side. She heard him screaming that it was his fault over and over again. Grabbing Emma quickly to avoid a stool, "You need to put him to sleep Emma, before he hurts himself!" The crashing of items and thump were heard against the wall, near them or behind the daughter-mother pair.

"I just need an opening to wrestle him down and lock him." Emma quickly explained as they once again ducked from flying debris.

In an enraged state he didn't notice his birth mom and grandmother ducking back and forth through the objects he kept throwing randomly throughout his room. Not wanting to use magic on him she hoped he would loose stamina soon, but from her point of view she did not think that would occur soon.

"I did this. I did this. I did this," kept being spilled form Henry's lip as he now grabbed his bookshelf and tried to pry it off the wall. Pulling and screaming, he never noticed Emma using her magic to keep the large shelf stapled against the wall while she moved behind Henry. Giving up on pulling he began to kick at the bookshelf over and over.

Finally, Emma was able to corner him and grip him from behind as she brought them down to the floor. Using her bodyweight to try and submit Henry, he continued to kick and scream in a dead attempt to get away from her. With the help from her mother, Snow and Emma managed to lock in his arms. Scrambling back and forth, side to side, but never letting go as he screamed and cried for his mother and for the fault. Henry kept kicking and screaming, "No! NO! NO! LET ME GO. IT'S MY FAULT! IT'S MY FAULT! NO! MOM! MOM! MOM!"

Emma not wanting to use more magic on him, as her own emotions ran high and she did not want to harm him; she magicked over a syringe. Yelling orders to her mother, she kept a locked grip on Henry. Emma moved her thighs to his waist and locking her calfs inside his hamstrings; foreshadowing the loss of strength and compensating as best she could.

She once again ordered, "Give him the sedative! SNOW! Give him the shot!"

Snapping out of her own daze at seeing her grandson broken, Snow let go of Emma and moved to the syringe, looking at the battling bodies and destroyed grandson, she looked for a window of opportunity. Seeing an available shoulder, she injected the sedative to his bicep.

"No! Let me go! Let me go! Mom! Mom!," feeling heavy Henry once again calls for his mom, "Momma..." His vision goes black and believed he heard Regina say, "It's okay, Henry." With that Henry fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

A/N:

I hope the breakdown was not too much, but if this has affected you, I am sorry. If you feel troubled and are in the U.S. you can contact 1-800-273-8225 or chat with a counselor online at suicidepreventionlifeline, they will redirect you to the lifeline website. They will connect you to counselors for emotional support available 24/7 across the U.S.

For worldwide country links, if needed, copy and paste on your internet search engine: wiki/List_of Suicide Crisis Lines

 **-SQsqSQ-**

P/S:This story will deal with drama, angst, hurt, and comfort; ultimately growth and acceptance. Also, these links are not solely for suicide, but for mental and emotional help. As part of #IDontMind keep yourself informed about beating mental health stigma.

Next up: What happens to Henry, what does Ruby talk to Regina, did Zelena find anything new?

Thanks for reading.


	6. The Truth Hurts

A/N: Per usual, I do not own any of the characters shown below. This is a work of fiction and used solely in a fictitious manner. All credit goes to the creators and producers of OUAT.

TW: Mild language and mental breakdown

* * *

After having transported them to the hospital to check Henry into the psych ward, she sat holding onto her son's hand feeling guilt enter and swim through the core of her body. She was lost. She didn't know what to do. The one who could help calm her son and who could help her solve the enigma of waking an eternally cursed person, was at the moment the one inside the curse. She did her best and that was to seek help for her son and hope that it would work. His fit scared her deeply and she didn't know how deep the damage would be. Hell she didn't know what would happen after waking Regina would be like.

Holding onto his hand, she finally let go again. This time in the sake for her son, who seems to be more lost than anyone around. He lost his mom and she knows the voices that are running across in his mind. He has lost the person who made his world, until the book appeared, but now the trapped guilt has set into his heart. No one will know how long he will let go of that sensation.

Emma straightens herself when she hears the door open and soon she feels her fathers hand on top of her head.

"He will be okay, Emma. We will get through this." He attempted to comfort his daughter as he lightly squeezed Emma's shoulders.

Laughing a sarcastic chuckle, "You don't know that. You didn't see him. You didn't see the self-hate and anger flash before his eyes. You didn't see him try to rip himself for hurting his mother. For gods sake he's 12!" Emma moved away from her father and began to pace inside Henry's hospital room as she flung her arms around to prove a point.

"You need to remain calm Emma. Right -" David was cut from talking as his daughter sharply turned around and narrowed her eyes at him. Bringing his arms upwards in a placating motion and giving sincere eye, "Emma calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to calm down when my son just had a mental breakdown!" Emma's voice began to rise as she pointed towards where Henry laid and quickly pointed to herself, "Where I chose to omit the truth about his mother doing magic. Where I stood there and saw my son become someone else. Where I laid there and held onto my son not being able to breathe when he couldn't find his mother. When my girlfriend is in a fucking sleeping curse! You want me to calm the fuck down?!"

Emma yelled to her father with tears cascading down her cheeks and snapping off her chin as she punched her chest repeatedly. Within the second punch to her chest David leaped forward and brought his daughter toward him. "I don't know what to do, Dad. I don't know how to make it okay," was muffled from his shoulder, as tide of tears soaked his shirt. David could feel Emma gripping onto his jacket, as if she were gripping for a slice of stabilization or a reminder to stay rooted. All David could do was hold his daughter's head and run his fingers through her hair to calm the storm inside her mind and the tornadic system in her heart.

"We will bring them back to us. This isn't on you. It's on us too and we will be here to help in anyway we can. You have your family now, Emma. You aren't alone anymore." He stopped talking when he felt a nod against his shoulder. "So, Regina, huh?"

Just as she was about to answer, the door opened with Archie entering and looking at the Charming's. "I understand that at the current situation things have been difficult, but I must urge you to respect hospital policies. There are other patients recovering down the hall who heard your shouting," with a nod and apologies from the standing father and daughter, he continued," Now that, that has been addressed, I suggest we do a family counseling for the person's affected aside Henry."

"Just help Henry, we will be fine."

"Fine isn't okay. Fine will not let you make rational decisions if they need to be made while attempting to help Regina."

"Archie-"

"Miss. Swan, Emma... Henry won't progress if his own safety net isn't well tied. He needs you now, more than ever. I am not asking you to jump into the deep end and hope to float. I'm asking you to use a kick board and tread foot by foot until you can swim. Your mind is just as important to take care of as the physical aspect. We need to train it and mold it to help make uniformed decisions that will not only affect you, but Henry and the rest around you. You need to help yourself too."

Nodding her head while looking to the ground, she knew this was their best chance, hers and Henry's on trying to adapt. "We can begin in two-days time. Thank you, Archie." She looked to him and turned back to sit next to Henry. Having addressed the counseling issue, he moved on in his agenda.

Exhaling a breath and grasping onto the foot rest, "He will awaken late at night or early morning. The sedative you administered was a good dosage, but we had to give a little more after a hazed bout had him fighting a nurse. We will be facing an uphill battle, it will be steep and razored edge. However, I am hopeful to give you the tools to climb this, especially him. We must be careful, not for our sake, but for his."

Emma could have not felt anymore lost than she did now. She hoped that they would be able to escape this nightmare unharmed.

Zelena moved into the mansion following her findings in the vault. She knew that her sister took her heart and now she had to find it. Zelena figured that the chance for Regina to hide her heart in the mansion was lim to none, but what better area to hide it, if not in plain sight. She couldn't do a regular comb of magic to spread across her sisters belongings, since everything bled her magical essence. Zelena had to this the hard way and comb through each nook and crook.

Minutes became hours; hours became days; days became weeks. Nowhere in the areas of Regina's home, office, or past-time activities offered a link to Regina's heart. Zelena knew that her and Emma were a couple and accompanied Emma to her home to make a sweep. Nothing came from it. Hell she even tried the Charming's loft.

During this time she helped train Emma, she wouldn't have even bothered, but she needed back-up if she was about to go and search into her sister's vault. Knowing that she herself had put up dangerous counter spells in protecting her own vault back in Oz, she never doubted her sister to not do the same. Zelena needed her own weapon to help her break the spells she would most likely be attacked with.

Aside from searching and training, she decided to strengthen the relationship she had with Henry. She heard and had seen a few breakdowns of his. Even though she very much disliked him in the beginning days of the curse, she knew her sister would want her to take care of her cub. Tentatively she offered him another familial love to help rebuild him. She may have been wicked at one point, but she knew Regina would've watched over her daughter if she were gone. Leaving the comfort of her sister's apple tree, she walked into the mansion to check on her nephew.

"If I recall time telling time correctly, that clock says 4 in the afternoon. Not dessert time, young man." Zelena teased her nephew as she caught him trying to sneak a chocolate bar from the dessert pantry. Looking to his aunt and seeing her point to the clock, he shrugged, "It's dinner somewhere?"

"Haha, yes somewhere that isn't here. Come on, help me with dinner instead. The gods know you're mother would send me into a sleeping stasis if you one got a cavity and two if you ate unhealthy. Chowder or stew for dinner?"

"Yeah, she would." Henry gave a small chuckle, "I went to visit her today. I told her about school and read to her a little bit. Oh, and stew please, Auntie Zee."

"Mmm, was your mum there? I haven't seen all day today, she cancelled on her training." Zelena asked while she shifted and pulled out ingredients for the beef stew. Turning and raising an eyebrow to reaffirm her question.

Henry looked toward the ground and his face expression dropped, "She was there. She must have cried herself to sleep. I didn't move her until it was time for me to go. When will we get to wake up Momma?" He asked with balancing tears and shimmering iris'.

It wasn't long before Zelena left her cutting duties and embraced Henry in a hug. Rocking him slightly and making a soothing circle pattern between his shoulder blades, "Soon, Henry. Soon, I promise." Giving him a kiss atop his crown and palming his head, "Now come help me cut some of the vegetables, before you head off to play."

The rest of the evening was spent in a comfortable silence with slight jazz playing in the background as they peeled and cut vegetables for the stew. Before Henry left he cut up the sourdough bread and not thinking much of it, he rounded the island and gave his back facing aunt a stern hug. With that he left the kitchen and left to play Star Wars on his game system. Feeling his presence far away, Zelena let herself slouch and gripped her head in attempt to reign in her tears and frustration.

 _'Oh, Henry. How will I live up to the promise, when I still can't find your mother's heart.'_

Mixing the stew one last time and covering it to let it simmer, she walked away from the kitchen and went to check in on her daughter. With so much doubt clouding her in every step she took. The vault was their last hope. She needed the heart to wake her sister. No heart, no happy family for Henry, her, or even Emma.

* * *

Hey y'all apologies for the long wait for a new update, but I must be honest. My lungs are not working properly and just breathing alone is very taxing. Medication can only do so much. I will do my very best to update bi-weekly, if not at least monthly, with longer chapters.

Thank you for your patience. Happy Holidays.

-Noir


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